MasukCole The punch landed before the sentence finished. That’s how it started. Silas's biker group stepped into the bar for drinks. One of his guys leaned in too close, his breath hot with cheap beer and unearned arrogance. “Heard you’re playing house now,” he sneered. I didn’t even remember moving. My fist cracked across his jaw. Bone met bone. In a clean, sharp snap The sound shut the room up. crashing into a table with a splintering thud. Chairs scraped. Boots shifted. Silas didn’t look surprised; he looked entertained. “Sensitive topic?” Silas asked mildly, tilting his head. like he was watching a street performance. I flexed my hand once. “Careful.” He smirked, eyes glinting. “Relax. I’m just curious how women and children fit into the biker life.” The word echoed louder than the music. So that’s how far it spread. “Watch your mouth,” I warned. One of his guys spat blood onto the concrete. “You gonna cry about it, Daddy?” he taunted. That did it. I
~ Mara ~ I found out from Instagram. Not a phone call, not a formal letter from a lawyer, not even a warning from Evan. Just a notification. Some random, burner account tagged me in a story, and I clicked it before my brain could tell me not to. It was a picture of Cole’s truck idling outside the house. Not the safe house—my house. An old photo, taken in broad daylight. The caption read: “Mom of the Year hanging with criminals while custody is pending.” My stomach dropped so hard I had to catch the edge of the counter to keep from collapsing. I scrolled down, and the comments were an absolute bloodbath. “She’s giving unstable.” “That poor kid.” “Bikers are always such red flags. Lowkey trashy.” I stared at the screen, blinking rapidly as if I could make the comments disappear. They didn't. Another notification pinged. Then another. I prayed Evan hadn't seen it or was he the one who released the pictures to ridicule me online?. My phone shrieked in my ha
Cole I punched the wall hard enough to make my knuckles split. Not because I lost control. Because control was the only thing keeping me from going to Evans' office and burning down the whole goddamn building. Jax didn’t flinch. He just watched me from the doorway like he always did when he thought something was amusing. “That’s drywall,” he said calmly. “Not Evan.” “I know,” I replied, flexing my hand. The sharp bite of pain grounded me, keeping the noise in my head from getting too loud. The clubhouse smelled like oil, metal, the Usual vibes. But tonight the air felt off Like the room knew something was about to snap. “I heard from Rhea that they filed for emergency custody,” Jax said. “he did,” I muttered. “That jack-ass doesn’t know how to lose quietly.” “He’s not trying to win,” Jax said. “He’s trying to hurt her and everyone around her.” I let out a short laugh. “Cute strategy.” Jax stepped closer, his shadow looming over the workbench. “This puts the c
Mara I didn’t sleep. Not really. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw a courtroom. A judge looking down at me like I’d failed some invisible test. Evan sitting there, composed, rehearsed, pretending he cared. And Lily being led away while I stood there useless. I got up before sunrise. The house was silent except for the low sound coming from the refrigerator and the faint sound of Cole moving somewhere down the hall. He wasn’t asleep either. I found him in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, coffee untouched. “You don’t drink coffee,” I murmured, my voice sounding fragile in the dark. He gave a faint smile tired smile. . “I know.” “You’re just holding it.” “Yes,” he admitted, his grip tightening on the mug. I crossed my arms, suddenly. “I hate this.” “I know,” he replied. “I hate that he can do this. Just file a piece of paper and make my whole world shake.” “He can file,” Cole stated steadily, his eyes finally meeting mine. “That doesn’t mea
Lily Mommy packed a bag. Not a big one, just the blue one we use for sleepovers, but she packed it too carefully. She was folding things twice and checking zippers twice, like if she did it perfectly enough, nothing bad would happen. “Are we going somewhere?” I asked, standing in the doorway. She looked up fast. “Just for a few days, baby,” she whispered, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Is Daddy mad again?” I asked quietly. She swallowed hard before she answered. “Daddy is… upset. But this isn’t your fault.” I hated when grown-ups said that. It always meant something was very much someone’s fault. A car door shut outside. I ran to the window before she could stop me and saw Cole’s brought a truck. Not the bike—a truck. That made me feel better for some reason. He knocked once, and Mommy opened the door before the second knock even landed. They didn’t kiss. They just looked at each other for a long time, like they were talking without talking. “You read
Cole The call came while I was wiping blood off my knuckles. Not mine. Some jackass’s thought testing our territory was a good idea. He learned fast that it wasn't My phone buzzed on the grease-stained workbench, the screen lighting up with Mara’s name, and my chest tightened with a sudden, sharp knot of dread before I even hit answer. Cole,” she said, and I knew instantly. Her voice was shaky, the kind that sits on top of a panic attack like a thin, transparent lie. “What happened,” I demanded. No hello. No softness. Straight to it. “They filed,” she whispered, the sound brittle over the line. “Emergency custody. Evan’s lawyer called me this morning.” I closed my eyes, a string of curses running through my head. Fuck. “I’m coming to you,” I stated, already reaching for my keys. “No,” she snapped, her voice cracking. “Don’t. Not yet.” That stopped me mid-stride. “You don’t get to decide that alone, Mara.” “I’m trying to keep Lily safe,” she shot back, the







